It’s just a couple games, but Alex Binelas is seeing the results from an offseason spent dissecting his swing and approach at the plate. The Portland Sea Dogs corner infielder always had natural power. Now, he thinks the start of the season is an indicator of what he’ll be able to do all season – drive the ball to all fields and get on base more often.
“All offseason, I’ve been working on making some quality contact with the four seamer, any pitch with (velocity). I struggled with that last year, just missing some balls straight back, and it’s just getting my pitch and sticking to my approach,” Binelas said.
Saturday afternoon at Hadlock Field, Binelas hit a two-run double, walked twice and scored a run in a 13-3 win over Binghamton in front of 7,368 fans. The victory gave Portland a three-game sweep over the Rumble Ponies.
Binelas’ double in the bottom of the third drove in Nick Yorke and Tyler McDonough and gave the Sea Dogs a 3-1 lead.
“Thank God he threw it right where I was looking and I put a good swing on it. I think that sparked the team. You know, we’ve got a great bunch of guys. We’ve got a power offense,” Binelas said.
Binelas hit seventh in Portland’s lineup in Thursday’s opening game, did not play Friday, and was in the cleanup spot Saturday. He has two hits in six at-bats – both doubles – and three RBI. A third-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers out of Louisville in 2021, Binelas was traded to the Red Sox along with David Hamilton, who played for the Sea Dogs last season, and Jackie Bradley, Jr. in exchange for Hunter Renfroe in December 2021.
Binelas split 2022 between High-A Greenville and Portland. He hit 25 home runs and drove in 78 runs in 113 games, but his batting average was just .206. With the Sea Dogs, Binelas hit .166 with an on-base percentage of .254.
In the offseason, Binelas worked with Driveline, a baseball training company that examined every aspect of his swing. On the first day, they attached motion sensors to his body and had him take cuts.
“Two days later, they’ve got your skeleton, every muscle, bone is moving,” Binelas said. “Little tweaks here and there, nothing major, and I’m hitting the ball hard.”
Portland Manager Chad Epperson said the work Binelas put in over the offseason is evident.
“He’s using the whole field now. He’s freed up his hands a little bit. I know he worked really hard in the offseason. He’s seeing some progression with it, for sure,” Epperson said.
Binelas will continue to play both corner positions in the infield. On Opening Night, he started at third base. Saturday afternoon, Binelas showed some nifty glove work at first, picking a short-hop grounder that came off the bat of JT Schwartz at 105 miles per hour.
“With the glare, too, from the stands, it was pretty hard to see. Stick your glove out there and trust all the work you’ve done in the offseason and spring training. Luckily, it stuck in the glove,” Binelas said.
Ahead 3-1 after Binelas’ two-run double in the third, Portland scored another run in the fourth, then broke the game open with nine runs in the sixth. It looked as if the Sea Dogs would have at least two more in that inning, but Corey Rosier’s drive to right center, which appeared to hit the signs above the yellow line signifying a home run, was ruled off the wall. Rosier was tagged out rounding second, and Tyler Dearden could only advance from first to third.
“I didn’t get a good look. Obviously, Rosier thought he got it. It’s a tough one, because you want to back Rosier, but it’s 13-3. I’m not sure what they could do even if you do argue it. It’s just one of those freak plays,” Epperson said.
Each Sea Dogs starter scored at least one run, with Yorke, McDonough and Christian Koss scoring twice.
Portland’s bullpen was strong for the second game in a row. Skyler Arias, Jacob Webb and Dylan Spacke combined for five scoreless innings in relief of starter CJ Liu. Sea Dogs relievers now have 11 straight scoreless innings.
“If we can get our guys to attack and get ahead early in the count, win the 1-1 counts, win the 2-2 counts, we’re going to catch the ball behind them. It’s just getting them to make those pitches,” Epperson said.
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